Drinks spike rapist is jailed

A TEENAGE rapist who attacked a Birmingham mother after spiking her drinks at a city nightclub has been jailed for five years.

A TEENAGE rapist who attacked a Birmingham mother after spiking her drinks at a city nightclub has been jailed for five years.

The 17-year-old Iraqi, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is set to be deported after serving his sentence for the rape of the 28-year-old woman at a house in Bearwood in April last year.

Det Con Caroline Parkes, of Smethwick CID, said that the woman, who has a nine-year-old daughter and is a part-time student at a Birmingham college, was enjoying a night out with friends at a club on Broad Street, in Birmingham city centre, on April 23.

The woman's memory of what happened that night was unclear because her drinks were spiked.

"She can remember parts of that night but she is very hazy about the events," she said. "She remembers waking up at a house which we believed was in Bearwood, with two men next to her, early the next morning.

"She says that both men raped her but the second man involved is still at large. It was a very nasty attack which left the woman traumatised and mentally scarred for life."

Det Con Parkes said the 17-year-old, who came to Britain in 2005 after fleeing Iraq, had denied two counts of rape but was found guilty on both charges.

The youth was sentenced yesterday at Chester Crown Court.

Det Con Parkes said the youth was at large until October last year when he was arrested for an unrelated offence.

"His DNA matched that taken after the rape and his victim picked him out at an ID parade.

"We are very pleased with the sentence in view of the defend-ant's age, and it was probably the most the judge could give," said Det Con Parkes. "Hopefully, the victim can now put this terrible ordeal behind her and get on with her life, but she is finding it very difficult to cope even though it is 12 months on.

"The youth came over to Britain as an asylum seeker and we are told that he will serve his sentence in this country before being deported."

Det Con Parkes said the youth had begged the judge not to deport him back to Iraq after the completion of his sentence but the judge had gone ahead.